0 I am but a child

Many a times the most precious gifts come in "packages" we weren't expecting. We always want more...no matter how much we have. And there’s nothing wrong with having more, as long as you don’t harm others in your pursuit.

But how about appreciating the silly little gifts life has given us?

Call me a hoarder if you want, I have a big plastic box filled with the silliest things.

All gotten from people with huge loving hearts...young and old.

I got engaged, ladies and gentlemen. And of course I added the ring to the collection. It is the most beautiful ring someone has ever given to me. I mean, really, you should see the stone in it...it's simply breathtaking...

Words are not enough to tell you...I'm one of the most blessed women of the earth!

(p.s the stone blinks with a red light when you bend your finger. Sorry I couldn't catch that on camera). Don't be jealous ladies...don’t be jealous!

Hahaha, FINE! it's just a ring I got from my niece and nephew the other day. And my heart really smiles every time I remember the excitement in their voices when asking me to guess what my gift was.

Nope, it wasn't my birthday, it wasn't any special occasion, i just got home from work...tired as ever and I got a pink plastic ring with a flashing red light... JUST BECAUSE...

And this is not the first time... I have all the silliest gifts from my babies;

·         a handmade get well soon card from Nhomies,

·          a drawing of a Sunday school (and also an I love you written on the whiteboard in my room) by Giliani,

·         Genesis' name handwritten by himself with colorful pencils and also a person he drew on a big sheet and

·         "money" from Nheiyo (don't tell anybody it's nothing but two mud covered stones).

I also have handwritten letters from the little bro, asking me to come sleep in his room...from waaaayy back...complete with a drawing of our family and his 'signature' on the bottom.

I have empty candy wraps...which were supposed to symbolize a beautiful picture of me, I have leaves, a 'curious George' bandage ...you name the silly gift and I probably have it (and love it).

Perhaps you laughed, or maybe this reminds you of silly gifts you might have gotten as well.

One thing is true...if we could only see the world through a child's eyes again...we'd see that living shouldn't necessarily be as complicated as we make it sometimes.

Yes, we grownups have responsibilities a child doesn't even dream of. We don't have time for silly things you might say. Or, that it's all a waste of time and energy.

On the other hand, take life too serious and you might realize right at the end of your days that you haven't enjoyed the drops of happiness life has served you in the silly. So why don't we loosen up a little? Have a little fun, enjoy the silly (sometimes even nonsensical) things in life.

There's so much we can learn from life if we'd see the world through a child's eyes, thou (of course) with the knowledge we have today.

·    Be Creative!  Children are mega creative. They can create a whole world while playing...merely in their little heads. To the childrens'creativity, there is no boundaries, no impossibilities. They believe just anything is possible...an in the end, who says it isn't so.

·    Have Fun! I've played an unknown board game with my nephew of three the other day. Only (and I mean only) using stones. No rules, no board, no nothing...even the dice was a stone. And we had FUN. Sit down and watch children at play sometime...it is a moment of supreme joy. The child within wants to play a little...let it out!

·    Love HUGE! A child's love is the most beautiful and pure kind of love out there. Even when you get mad at them this minute...and the next thing you know, you get one of the cutest handwritten apologies or a simple hug that melts your anger away.

·    Over think?? NAAAHH!!; Children believe in the impossible, they don't attach any boundaries to their dreams, and they are willing to travel wherever their imagination wants to take them.

·    Playtime!! Do you remember how mad you could get when you were in the middle of a fun game and your parents called you?  (AAARGH MOM..Not now). What if I tell you, you can get playful as much as you want now? Yup...LIFE, LAUGH...ENJOY

You know? Age doesn't really define how old we truly are... And I'm not talking about the physical of course. But WE decide the ultimate age of our souls!!!

Our attitude, our approach to life, our thoughts, our heart and spirits...such things determine much more than our age. They determine what we do and don't achieve. They determine whether we dare to take risks or not. They determine the way we approach relationships and even the way we perceive ourselves.

Age is just a number, if somewhere in your heart you're holding on to that silly little child inside.

The child that gets a giggling attack for the most unexplained reasons. The child that can invent the most delicious cakes with mud, that child that sees the world through a glass of immeasurable possibilities. The child that is willing to take on any adventure at all. The child that dreams... and believes. Yes believes that

·         “superheroes” exist in real life (aha, they do. They just don’t wear super suits. My mom for instance is an awesome one. And I know a few more),

·         love can conquer,

·         there is still good in the world (starting in YOUR heart),

·         you can be anything you set their minds to be (yup...ANYTHING) and...

·         anything is possible.

Hold on...Hold on tight to that playful, beautiful, awesome child within.

I'm not asking you to go through your everyday activities leaping like a little child, I’m just asking you to not lose contact with the little child in you.

The plea is to believe immeasurably, to dream big, to pursue without getting tired, to love more, to do without over thinking...to live your life fully

It's one of the most rejuvenating experiences ever; to get in touch with that inner child every now and then. C'mon...there's nothing shameful about that! You have nothing to lose...

You know, Just saying...

1 Tinted windows...

I wonder if there’s any truth behind that saying... “The eyes are the windows to the soul”.
I mean, do we really have windows? Can people really see through each other’s eyes and get a glance of what really lives inside? Their thought? Attitudes? Emotions? Like when I look through any window...and I see the furniture, I see the people inside, I might see a flamboyant painting on the wall...through a window I can see...INSIDE A BUILDING, inside a room.

So, if this is true, you mean to say that there is more to the eye than blinking, seeing, observing, crying, looking and staring?

Recently I’ve been told something about myself I somehow know is true, but which I didn’t want to admit. The person in question said “You know Sy, I think blah blah blah...as a matter of fact, I KNOW it is like that.” And I indifferently answered: “And how does the wiz kid think to have gotten such untruthful insight?” To which the person answered: “I’ve seen it in your eyes Sy, you can’t hide it. I just KNOW it’s the truth”.
Well at that moment I tried to act as thou I wanted to say “believe what you may, I know the it's the contrary”. But I knew...I knew it for a fact...this person was telling the truth...

You know me; I’ve tried to search for answers!!
What do you see when you really look through someone’s windows? How can you tell if... ? (Sigh)

Physiology apparently says that people can tell certain things depending on the position of your eyes when saying or thinking a certain thing. Like this:

And they believe it’s not something we learn, for even blind people do it. It is more of a cognitive function of the human body.

Psychology states that he eyes are indeed an important medium through which we communicate our wants and needs. And they take babies and infants as an example... The way a baby that is being bottle fed looks directly into the eye of the one that’s feeding him, to mention one example.
And psychologists say that people can show disrespect  or tell that they're willing to fight 'by maintaining a continuous eye contact with someone. But on the other side they can also seduce, coy and show sexual interest.

And then there’s another theory that states that you can notice emotions by observing someone’s pupils during an interaction. Their pupils will dilate as when exposed to poor light. Enlarged pupils indicate powerful emotions, including anger, suspicion, and deep thought. They also imply arousal, excitement, and interest.

I really don’t know...

Yes, I’ve seen things in other people’s eyes sometime. But having people look into yours and point out stuff you don’t want to accept and/ or deal with, is definitely scary.
I say, if the eyes are such transparent windows I guess I’d like to tint mine... Who said I wanted just anyone to look inside anyways? If perhaps I’d want you to take a look someday, I then open the window for you...myself

But don’t you dare to just look through my windows,...at least not yet!

1 You're my favorite cup o' tea...

“Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea” (Henry Fielding)

Pass me a cup of tea…with the juiciest news about another person’s story of love or irrevocable scandal and I’ll drift away for a while in the sweet aroma of… a gossip. Whether the love story is true or if the scandalous story really happened? I couldn’t care less… Right now, this is pure hot news.

We all love ourselves some juicy story…don’t deny, don’t deny! But at the moment you realize how some of those stories started…it is simply hilarious.

A male friend of mine occasionally visits me during lunch break to walk around, chit-chat, have lunch…or just hang. Nothing out of this world…

A couple of colleagues noticed his visits and almost immediately started making insinuations.  You know, giving you that look that says “hm, I know something about youuu” and a huge significant smile every time they see you guys together.  And in moments like these you don’t even mind correct them; Let everyone believe what they want…we know the truth.

So yesterday my friend came again for lunch break! He’s used to greet me with a hug, and since I’ve received a wonderful news earlier that morning (which I’ll have to share later) he hugged me extra hard to give his congrats on the wonderful achievement…on the parking lot at the office!!!

Logically people would see huh! And bingo! Two colleagues(say, Colleague 1 and colleague 2) walked out and found us in the middle of our hard greeting & congratulating hug.
One of them remarked immediately (in a joking tone) “What is this? What is this? What is this?” And as far as I can remember we just smiled and shrugged…

Funny part was, when I came back in after lunch and was going to the toilet…
Upon seeing me walking by her office, colleague 1 started commenting loudly to another colleague. (The short dialogue went something like THIS! C1 is the colleague who saw me and O is the other)
(C1): “You should have seen Sy today during lunch break, fully wrapped in a hug….with a guy…ON THE   PARKING LOT!!”
(O): “(Gaaaaaasssppp)No kidding me, what else?”
(C1): “I think there was even kissing…French kissing. With tongue and everything! They were holding each other so tight!”
(O): “You can’t be serious….you mean…SYYYYY?? On the parking lot???? OMG!!"

And while passing their office I dropped the first thing that came to mind, “ow ahum, remember to mention that the next minute, we were lying on the floor…”. And we all laughed about the remark…

Moments later another colleague came to me and all laughing she told me that colleague 2 also mentioned (I supposed in the canteen) that there was A LOT of hugging going on on the parking lot this noon. Between Sy and a guy…

And I can imagine what’s next… when whoever from the office (that doesn’t know us, and how we behave around each other) sees me and this male friend together on any other occasion…

Lol….yup….Cup o' tea anyone?
Cause in the end, we all love ourselves some gossip!!! Don’t we? =)
“Show me someone who never gossips and I’ll show you someone who isn’t interested in people” (Barbara Walters)

Just remember:

“Don’t repeat anything you will not sign your name to” (Author Unknown)

0 The lost massa report

In one of my first blog posts I stated about my weight loss journey. And yes, I’m still working on it.

Sometimes the going is very easy and the motivation is sky high. But at other times not even the most motivational article online won’t do the trick. Nope, not even the colleague who tells you that you’ll gain 11 pounds if you eat THAT.

I’ve learned thou, through trial and error, that it takes a good control of that switch in the mind that makes you eat excessively, unhealthy or just wrong.
I am by nature a stress-eater; meaning that I’m used to suppress stress by eating. (Read: indulging my senses; sometimes to in an uncontrollable manner). And not to mention my harsh PMS knock downs. Stressed states and PMS, for me, normally goes paired with chocolate, chips (and dips), sweets, ice cream and junk food. 
So, in the battle for a new lifestyle, between my overindulgent self and my (now) more self conscious self, I had to find another way to deal.
And I guess you’d expect me to say that I’ve found the formula, right? Well, yes...and no!
After months of travelling the weight loss lane I have one conclusion. There is actually no super formula to the cravings for something totally satisfying when you’re wired with stress or having PMS.
The cravings will come!
And the way to deal is to have control on the mental switch that says “GO AHEAD,...satiate your wanting!!!”  and the other switch that deliberately tells you “No,...not now!”.
In other words, it’s all in the mind!!

I still get cravings. (MAYOR CRAVINGS). And I’ve managed to strengthen my mental switch quite well and can (most of the times) silent the need to gratify. Besides, I have found healthier ways to pace down the need for snacking (to mention an example. Peanuts (especially almonds), raisins or simply a good fruit juice often does it for me.
Everyone should experiment with the healthy choices and find their favorites.
At other times I DO succumb to my cravings for a good, juicy and fat burger for example; or simply a creamy chocolate bar. Of course, if I need to make this my new lifestyle in order to lose and maintain a healthy weight, I won’t be able to do a lifetime without sir!!! So I occasionally do give in... but the key is, not to overdo.

So far, I’ve lost 46 pounds (20,8 kgs) and I’ve lost track of the overall centimeters lost. Losing the extra weight feels absolutely great. You feel more comfortable in your skin, gorgeous and super self-confident.
People will soon start noticing and giving you compliments on the new you. (Even thou you have to watch out not to let those compliments boost you into allowing yourself to eat more than you should).
But the best part of it all is when YOU start noticing all the differences... It’s an achievement YOU made. And that’s such an awesome feeling! You can be sooooo proud of yourself for it...

I still have more losing to do. I’m aiming for another 44 ponds (20kgs), but most people told that much is not necessary. So we’ll see what it’ll be!  
My dietician told me I’ve reached my so called “stubborn fat”. And well ironically my friends sometimes tell me I can be quite stubborn myself. So, let’s see who wins this stubbornness battle...

Will occasionally keep you posted on the warfare updates =)

0 The blanco sheet...

It just crossed my mind, I didn't blog in like, AGES.
Many blog-worthy things happened between my last post and today!! But hey, you know the syndromes...laziness, procrastination, a lack of right words, packed schedules...and an ongoing avalanche of motives.

And yesterday when I decided I'd finally blog....my mind was BLANK!
                                                                 Simply.... unacceptable....xD

So, here's what I tried to do....
I tried to focus on one specific thing I'd find exciting. You know, something that makes you sit up straight in your chair with a (perhaps) mischievous grin on your thoughtful face. Something you can spent hours thinking of; adding details and making it a big, full body boom! But after holding on to any thought for a couple of minutes...capoof! Gone in thin air...
So I decided to try searching the internet! I mean, hey, I can pick a topic I find interesting and get lost in search. But that interesting topic was nowhere to be found.
Well, I gave a shot to recent events. There is ALWAYS a thought-provoking event you've recently been through, right? And yes,...the event was there... But as easily as it came...it disappeared. Like magic, one second it's there and then the next it isn't!

I could picture my mind all quiet and alone...sitting on a swing in a dark place...
Doing nothing else but swinging back and forth...without saying a word. hahahahaha. It's eyes fixed on something in the distance without really looking at anything. Occasionally shrugging, nodding, sighing and shifting positions on the swing when it gets tired of sitting in a certain posture. And then, out of nowhere, breaking the awkwardness with a smile as the silence becomes uncomfortable and raises questions.
LoL.... I KNOW...sounds like a monologue of such a drama-momma :D But it's the way I pictured the whole blank mind state I was lingering in.

It was just weird! It's relaxing, stimulating and yet so apathetic and scaring at the same time, can't really explain.
It's not that I've never been through this before,...it's just the first time I write about it :D
How I wrote this with a blank mind? I don't know! I just EXPLAINED the actual mental state I went through yesterday. Consider it... my actual best shot on the explanation of a blank mind state.
If you've never had one and want to know what it feels like...purchase one here!

They say they have the BEST deals!!!
I'm sorry,I can't offer you mine. Mine can't be bestowed mine that easily, it's worth way too much...

Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel